Monday, April 05, 2010

The Rosenbergs: A Granddaughter's Perspective

On this day in 1951, Americans Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to death for acts of espionage for the Soviet Union. They were accused of passing information about the atomic bomb from a source in Los Alamos -- namely, Mrs. Rosenberg's brother who was employed there -- to the Russian vice consul in New York. The Rosenbergs maintained their innocence until their executions in June, 1953. Their deaths left two young boys, Robert and Michael.

This video was produced by the Rosenbergs' granddaughter, Ivy Meeropol. As she notes, her quest was not that of determining guilt or innocence but that of shedding light on what drove her grandparents and who they were as people. This is a gripping story of Cold War drama and to this day, unanswered questions remain.